Formed in London in 1958/9, The Shadows are the most successful British rock-instrumental and vocal group from the 1950s
to the 2000s with an aggregate total of at least 69 UK hit singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and The
Shadows'. Many of their EPs charted in the now (since 1968) defunct EP chart and most of their original studio albums
charted in various UK album charts during their career. Along with Cliff Richard they effectively snuffed out skiffle
music by 1959, but were themselves increasingly sidelined by a multi-pronged combination of Beatlemania, Merseybeat, The
Rolling Stones, The Who, and many other major British 60s groups during 1963-64.
Five years ahead of Beatle-mania, The Shadows, along with Cliff Richard, laid the foundations of British rock-n-roll
music during 1958-1962. During that five year period they were the UK's only major rock group with no significant home
grown competition. Notwithstanding their popularity in the early 60s, in the wake of a 'Golden Greats' marketing ploy by
their UK record label EMI, then and as separate entities, but unlike no other chart acts before or since then, The
Shadows and Cliff Richard enjoyed a massive 2nd wave revival spell of success and interest in their music from the
late-1970's until disbandment in 1990. In the 1960s The Shadows paved the way for many thousands of similar guitar-based
groups in the wake of their 'Apache' hit single. Their eponymous debut original studio album, The Shadows (album),
remains a benchmark standard rock-instrumental album of 'classic' status proportions. Their unique guitar sound was
produced by American guitars made by Fender in conjunction with British amplifiers made by Vox with an Italian made SFX
Meazzi echo unit.
Selling many millions of records worldwide, but unlike no other hugely successful group, The Shadows have generated so
many polarized opinions on the merits of their type of music. However, The Shadows are consistently appreciated by
instrumental fans, guitar enthusiasts and musicians both professional and amateur. In the 21st century they continue to
enjoy the dedicated patronage of a loyal hard core of worldwide fans. When they tour the UK and abroad, their
good-humoured concerts always sell out at premier division venues. They last toured the USA in 1959 with Cliff
Richard.
The Shadows were pioneers of the rock group format in the UK and as such they were subject to a steep learning curve
without the benefit of a previous British group to emulate. Conventional wisdom in these matters was subsequently
gleaned out of the Shadows experience. Thus in a minority of cases those groups in the UK whose original line-ups were
assembled by an outsider, such as a producer or manager with a specific project in mind, have enjoyed only limited
success.
Since then, based on the Shadows experience, virtually all other UK-based pop/rock bands have formed their own
foundation line-up from within using a non-Shadows methodology adhering to now well established principles as used by
other groups who self-created either at high-school eg The Jam or college or university or outside education eg The
Beatles, but whose musical directions and influences (eg Elvis or Chuck Berry etc) and geographical origins (eg
Liverpool) were all similar thus minimizing potential areas of friction within the band during its lifespan.

Album's in this Torrent

TRACK LIST - ESTABLISHED (1958)

01. Voyage To The Bottom Of The Bath
02. Poem
03. Average Life Of A Daily Man
04. Banana Man
05. The Magical Mrs Clamps
06. Here I Go Again Loving You
07. Maggie's Samba

1. Lonesone Fella
2. Saturday Dance
3. Quatermaster's Stores
4. Back Home
5. The Breeze And I
6. I Want You To Want Me
7. All Day
8. It's A Man's World
9. This Hammer
10. Dear Old Mrs. Bell
11. Trying To Forget The One You Love
12. Tomorrow's Cancelled